CAMDEN, N.J. - Two Trenton, New Jersey, men admitted robbing Metro PCS stores in Willingboro, New Jersey, Lumberton, New Jersey, and Levittown, Pennsylvania, in September and October 2016, Acting U.S. Attorney William E. Fitzpatrick announced today.
Rodney Day, 26, pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Joseph H. Rodriguez in Camden federal court to an information charging him with one count of conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robberies. Zeldrick Nance, 30, pleaded guilty before Judge Rodriguez to a separate information with the same charge on Oct. 30, 2017. Both defendants have been in custody since their arrest on Jan. 3, 2017.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
On Sept. 29, 2016, Day, Nance and Lisa Anderson, 34, of Griffithville, Arkansas, drove to the Willingboro Metro PCS Store. Day brandished what appeared to be a firearm while Nance duct taped the store occupants and placed them into a store bathroom. Meanwhile, Anderson stole cellular telephones and money from the cash registers. During the robbery, Day demanded the keys to a car owned by one of the victims. Day, Nance, and Anderson fled with the stolen cellular telephones and money in that stolen car.
On Oct. 7, 2016, Day, Nance, and Anderson drove to the Lumberton Metro PCS Store. Day brandished what appeared to be a firearm while Nance duct taped a store occupant, put that victim in a storage room, and took the victim’s wallet and keys. Meanwhile, Anderson stole cellular telephones and money from the cash registers.
On Oct. 12, 2016, Day, Nance, and Anderson drove to the Levittown Metro PCS Store. Day once again brandished what appeared to be a firearm while Nance duct taped the victims inside the store and put them in a store bathroom. Anderson subsequently entered the store and stole cellular telephones and money from the cash registers.
The charge of conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robberies carries a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Sentencing for Day and Nance is set for Feb. 14, 2018 and Feb. 7, 2018, respectively.
Anderson has been in custody since her arrest on Jan. 3, 2017. She has pleaded guilty to her role in the robberies and is currently scheduled for sentencing on Dec. 5, 2017.
Acting U.S. Attorney Fitzpatrick credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Timothy Gallagher in Newark, with the investigation leading to this week’s guilty pleas. He also thanked the Willingboro, Lumberton, and Levittown police departments, as well as the Burlington and Mercer County Prosecutor’s Offices for their assistance in this case.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jacqueline M. Carle of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Criminal Division in Camden.
Defense counsel:
Day: Peter A. Levin Esq., Philadelphia
Nance: Robert Wolf Esq., Westmont, New Jersey
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)
